Suction cleaning apparatus



March 7, 1944. TAYLOR 2,343,819 SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5,1942 ill i I I4- 4 42 I Q 7 WITNESSES: 2 F 3 INVENTOR .CHAELES H. TAYLozL W W BYW v ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 7, 1944 SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUSCharles H. Taylor, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Westinghouse Electric& Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application December 5, 1942, Serial No. 467,921

10 Claims. .(Cl. 30613) My invention relates to a suction cleaner of thehandle-propelled type, more particularly to a device for controlling theposition of the handle relative to the body of the cleaner, and it hasfor an object to provide a new and improved construction.

A further object is to provide a construction of handle control devicewhich is simple and, therefore, inexpensive, and which holds securely sothat the cleaner may be lifted by the handle when the latter is instorage position.

A characteristic feature of the handle control device of my invention isa rod extending longitudinally within the handle and rotatable about anaxis extending longitudinally of the rod. At its lower end, a leverextends radially from the rod and a locking pin extends angularly fromthe outer end of the lever. A notched plate or the like is positionedalong the arcuate path of travel of the locking pin, and the locking pinis adapted to be moved transversely of the plate into one of the notchesupon rotary or annular movement of the rod. The rod is rotated by meansof a lever at its upper end.

These and other objects are efiected by my invention as will be apparentfrom the following description and claims taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a suction cleanerembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on line II-II ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the looking member forming partof thisinvention, shown detached;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on line VV of Fig.3; and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on line VI-VI of Fig. 2. Y

Referring now to the drawing in detail, numeral. ID designates aconventional suction cleaner shown only in outline and provided withfront and rear supporting wheels l2 and I4. The suction nozzle isgenerally designated by the numeral l6 and it will be understood that asuitable suction-creating device is enclosed within the casing II] inany suitable manner. The dustcollecting bag may be enclosed within theeasing Ill. The structure thus far referred to forms no part of thepresent invention, and the novel is applicable to any typeofhandle-propelled suction cleaner.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, it"will seen.

a recess or space 21 provided in the rear portion of the body ll] ofthesuction cleaner and is secured by the bolt 28 or the like to thetrunnion 30, which is rotatable aboutits horizontalaxis.

so as to permit arcuate movement of the handle in the usualmanner. I

In order to control the position of the handle, I provide the operatingrod 32 which extends through thehandle l8 and which is provided with theupper defiecte d actuating handle 33. The handle 33 extends through andmoves in a slot 35 immediately below the grip portion' 36 of the cleanerhandle I8, so as to be readily accessible without changing the position.of the hand of the operator. Y

A resilient or rigid brace 31 engages the upper portion of the rod 32below the handle 33 to forma bearing for said rod and to retain it inthe position shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of rod 32 is deflected atright angles to form the horizontal portion 38, which also is deflectedto form the engaging pin 39. The pin 39 projects through an opening 41in the lower portion of the handle. Another bearing member lll engagesthe lower end of the rod 32, to maintain the rod in the position shownin Fig. 2 and to I absorb some of the stress and strain to which the rodis subjected by the weight of the cleaner casing l0 when the cleaner isbodily lifted by the handle. Coacting with the engaging pin 39 of therod 32 is a bracket 42 which is best seen in Fig. 3 and which'is'suitably secured to the is provided with the central relativelylarge seat or recess 46 and with the end recesses 41 and; 58 designatesa spring wound about the rod.32 and constantly biasing said rod (in acounter mechanism for controlling the handlepo'sition clockwisedirection) to urge the engaging pin 39 The handle I8 is providedtowardthe bracket 42 and into one or another of the recesses 46, 41, and 48.

Operation Assuming the cleaner to be in storage, the handle l8 willassume the substantially vertical position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Inthis position the pin 39 is positioned in the recess 41 and is retainedtherein by the spring 50. If the cleaner is raised by the handle, thecleaner casing ID will not swing away but will continue to assume thesubstantially right-angular position illustrated in Fig. 1. This is doneto the fact that the pin 39 will, when the cleaner is lifted by thehandle l8, bear against the wall 49 of the recess 41 as soon as thecasing Ill begins to swing downwardly and away from the handle I8. If itis desired to use the cleaner for normal operation, it is merelynecessary to rotate the actuating handle 33 in the slot 35, in clockwisedirection,

as viewed in'Fig. 6. This results in rotating therod 32 about itsvertical axis, thus withdrawing the engaging pin 39 from the recess 41in the bracket 42. The handle I8 can now be swung downwardly in thedirection of the arrow 3 I. The movement of the cleaner handledownwardly moves the pin 39 parallel to the bracket 42 and when thehandle 33 is released, the spring 50 causes the pin 39 to enter therecess 46. The handle 18 may now be swung up and down freely through anarc suflicient for normal operation. This range is approximately equalto the distance between the broken lines 52 and 53. If the handle I8 isreleased while the parts are in the position just described, the handlecan move downwardly only until the pin 39 engages the wall 5| of therecess 46. This brings the cleaner handle approximately tothe positionshown by the line 53. From this position, the handle can easily bepicked up for resumption of the cleaning operation. If it is desired tobring the handle I8 to substantially the horizontal position illustratedby the broken line 54, the handle 33 is again rotated in the directionof the arrow in Fig. 6 to withdraw the engaging pin 39 out of the recess46. The cleaner handle is then lowered to the desired position and thepin 39 now enters the recess 48. I

In this position of the handle 18, the cleaner is used for cleaningunder low furniture such as beds and the like, and, the abutment of thepin 39 against the wall 55 of the recess 48 looks the cleaner handle ina substantially horizontal position relative to the cleaner casing l3when the cleaner is lifted off the floor by the handle. This isconvenient for cleaning stair treads, window sills and similar surfaces.

It will thus be seen that my novel mechanism is controlled and actuatedby the mere rotation of the handle 33 to rotate the rod 32 about itslongitudinal axis through an are sufficient to withdraw the pin 39 fromwhatever recess 46-, 41, or 48 it may be in, the engaging pin 39 beingautomatically returned into one or another of the recesses 46, 41, and48 by the spring 53, when the cleaner handle I8 reaches any of thepositions described and the actuating handle 3-3 is released.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it willbe obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beplaced thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a suction cleaner, a casing, an arcuately movable handle forpropelling said casing, fixed engaging means carried by said casing, asecond engaging means carried by said handle and movable therewith, saidsecond engaging means being rotatable in one direction, about an axisextending longitudinally of said handle, into engagement with said fixedengaging means, and in the opposite direction for disengagement fromsaid fixed engaging means.

2. In a suction cleaner, a casing, an arcuately movable handle forpropelling said casing, a plurality of fixed engaging means carried bysaid casing, a complementary engaging means carried by said handle andmovable therewith, means for biasing said complementary engaging means,about an axis extending longitudinally of said handle, to bring saidcomplementary engaging means into selective engagement with one oranother of said fixed engaging means, according to theposition of saidhandle with respect to said casing, and means for rotating saidcomplementary engaging means in the opposite direction to disengage thesame from said fixed engaging means.

3. In a suction cleaner, a casing, an arcuately movable propellinghandle therefor and means for controlling the relationship of saidhandle to said casing, comprising engaging means on said casing, anelongated member carried by and extending longitudinally of said handle,a pin carried by the lower end of said elongated member and adapted tocoact with said engaging means, and means for normally rotating saidelongated member in one direction about an axis extending longitudinallyof said handle to move said pin toward said engaging means, saidelongated member being rotatable in the opposite direction to move saidpin away from said engag ing means.

4. In a suction cleaner, a casing, an arcuately movable propellinghandle therefor, and means for controlling the relationship of saidhandle to said casing, said means comprising an elongated member carriedby said handle, a locking, angularly disposed pin at the lower end ofsaid elongated member, engaging means on said casing, means for normallyrotating said elongated member in one direction about an axis extendinglongitudinally of said handle and urging said pin into engagement withsaid engaging means, and means for rotating said elongated member in theopposite direction to withdraw said pin from said engaging means.

5. In a suction cleaner, a casing, an arcuately movable propellinghandle therefor, and means for controlling the relation of said handleto said casing, comprising spaced engaging means on said casing, anelongated member carried by and movable with said handle, a locking pincarried by, and disposed at an angle to the lower end of said elongatedmember, means for normally rotating said member in one direction aboutan axis extending longitudinally of said handle to move said pin intoengagement with one or another of said engaging means, according to theposition of said handle with respect to said casing, and an actuatingmember at the upper end of said elongated member for rotating saidelongated member in the opposite direction to move said pin away fromsaid engagmg means.

6; In a suction cleaner, a casing, an arcuately movable hollow handlefor propelling said casing, and means for controlling the relationshipof said handle to said casing, comprising a looking plate having spacednotches therein and carried by said casing, an elongated member disposedwithin said handle, a pin carried by and disposed at an angle to thelower end of said elongated member and projected beyond the body of saidhandle, means for normally rotating said elongated member in onedirection about an axis extending longitudinally of said handle and thusmoving said pin into one or another of said notches, to retain saidhandle in a corresponding position with respect to said casing, and anactuating member carried by and disposed at an angle to the upper end ofsaid elongated member and projecting beyond the body of said handle forrotating said elongated member in the opposite direction and withdrawingsaid pin out of engagement with said notches.

7. In a suction cleaner, a casing, an arcuately movable handle forpropelling said casing, and means for controlling the relationship ofsaid handle to said casing, comprising an elongated member carried bysaid handle, a pin carried by, and disposed at an angle to the lower endof said elongated member, a locking plate on said casing, said lockingplate having two end notches for receiving said pin when said handle isin a substantially horizontal, or a substantially vertical position,respectively, and an intermediate notch for receiving said pin when saidhandle is in its normal operating range, means for normally rotatingsaid elongated member about an axis extending longitudinally of thehandle to urge said pin into one or another of said notches according tothe position of said handle, and an actuating member carried by anddisposed at an angle to the upper end of said elongated member forrotating the latter in the opposite direction to withdraw said pin fromengagement with said notches.

8. In a suction cleaner, a casing, an arcuately movable handle forpropelling said casing, and means for controlling the relationship ofsaid handle to said casing, comprising an elongated member carried bysaid handle, a pin carried by and disposed at an angle to the lower endof said elongated member, a locking plate on said casing, said lockingplate having one relatively nar- 1 row end notch for receiving said pinwhen said handle is in a substantially horizontal position, a secondrelatively narrow end notch for engaging said pin when said handle is ina, substantially vertical position, and for locking said handle to saidcasing in this position, and an intermediate elongated notch within thelimits of which said pin is freely movable when said handle is moved inits normal operating range, means for normally rotating said elongatedmember about an axis extending longitudinally of the handle to urge saidpin into one or another of said notches, according to the position ofsaid handle with respect to said casing, and an actuating member carriedby and disposed at an angle to the upper end of said elongated memberfor rotating the latter in the opposite direction to withdraw said pinfrom engagement with said notches.

9. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a propelling handle having pivotalconnection with said casing, a locking member carried by said casing ata substantially right angle to the axis of said pivotal connection, andhaving one or more engaging elements, a latch carried by and movablewith said handle parallel to said locking member, means for rotatingsaid latch in one direction, about an axis extending longitudinally ofsaid handle, to actuate said latch transversely of said locking memberand into engagement with one of said engaging elements, said latcl beingrotatable in the opposite direction to withdraw said latch from saidengaging elements.

10. In a suction cleaner, a casing, an arcuately movable handle forpropelling said casing, fixed engaging means carried by said casing, asecond engaging means carried by said handle and movable therewith, saidsecond engaging means comprising, an elongated member carried by, androtatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidhandle, an angularly projecting portion carried by the lower end of saidmember, and an engaging pin carried by and disposed at an angle to saidportion, means for normally biasing said member .to cause it to rotatein one direction about an axis extending longitudinally of said handleto bring said pin into engagement with said fixed engaging means, and anangularly disposed operating portion at the upper end of said member bymeans of which said member may be rotated in the opposite direction towithdraw said pin from said fixed engaging means.

CHARLES H. TAYLOR.

